Jagran English speaks with two rising stand-up comedians, Jiya Kant Gupta and Ajay Raj, who shed light on the career-building process, opportunities and challenges in the world of stand-up comedy.
The world of stand-up comedy has seen a rise in popularity in recent years on social media platforms. With the rise of digital content creation, aspiring comedians are finding new opportunities to build their careers and monetize their content. Jagran English speaks with two rising stand-up comedians, Jiya Kant Gupta and Ajay Raj, who shed light on the career-building process, opportunities and challenges in the world of stand-up comedy. They share their views on how they entered the field, the potential for financial stability, and the importance of networking and perseverance in building a successful career in stand-up comedy.
Q. What are the career opportunities in stand-up comedy?
Jiya Kant Gupta: To pursue a career in stand-up comedy, it’s critical to maintain patience and a committed mindset, as this field may not be well known in smaller towns compared to larger cities where it’s more recognized. With perseverance and determination, success in this field can be achieved.
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Ajay Raj: In the stand-up comedy career, opportunities are plentiful as people actively seek shows and live performances to witness and appreciate the unique art form of comedians.
Q. Is it a good enough comedy company and does it pay enough to be able to pay all its bills?
Jiya Kant Gupta: In fact, it is possible to not only cover the bills, but also afford seemingly unattainable luxuries, as evidenced by the success of comedians like Kapil Sharma, Krushna Abhishek, Bharti Singh and many others. However, reaching such a high position in the industry requires a lot of time and effort. Many stand-up comedians often perform at multiple shows across the country and even abroad, with tickets selling at a high price. While there are many sources of income, the road to success in this field is not without its difficulties, and perseverance is essential.
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Ajay Raj: While it is possible to start a professional career in comedy, it is important to exercise patience and persistence in the early stages. As one’s popularity grows and more people begin to attend their shows, they may consider transitioning to a full-time career. There are numerous examples of successful comedians who have achieved great success and financial stability in the field, leading to a comfortable and luxurious lifestyle.
Q. How can someone become a comedian?
Jiya Kant Gupta: From my perspective, becoming a comedian cannot be learned or taught, rather it is usually an innate talent or personality trait. A comedian must possess the ability to present funny material in a compelling and engaging way, with the goal of making the audience laugh and smile. Confidence, charisma, and a desire to make people laugh are also essential qualities for a successful comedian. With these qualities and the ability to create original and humorous material, one can certainly pursue a career in comedy and potentially make a living from it.
Ajay Raj: To establish yourself as a successful comedian, it is essential to possess strong skills in writing funny scripts and performing regularly in live shows. Additionally, creating and posting humorous videos on various social media platforms can help increase visibility and reach a larger audience.
Q. Who is the inspiration in this field?
Jiya Kant Gupta: I find inspiration in the work of Kapil Sharma and have followed his style of comedy from the very beginning. I wish to share the stage with Kapil Sharma.
Ajay Raj: Inspired by renowned comedian Kapil Sharma, I embarked on my comedy career in 2017, motivated to bring laughter and joy to audiences through my own unique brand of humor.
Q. What led you to choose a career in stand-up comedy over traditional options like government jobs, engineering, medicine, or MBAs, and were your parents supportive of your decision?
Jiya Kant Gupta: I feel lucky to have the support of my parents as I pursue my childhood dream of becoming an artist, as my passion for acting began with participating in nukkad natak and telling jokes in school programs and fueled further. upon discovering the open mic culture in Ranchi, where I have since started performing in shows.
Ajay Raj: Although I initially went to Ranchi to prepare for the NEET exams, I discovered a new passion for stand-up comedy, and my parents have supported me in my decision to pursue it as a career.
Q. How do you turn an idea into a joke?
Jiya Kant Gupta: The key to adding humor to any sentence is to approach it with a perspective that allows you to break it down in a way that can be transformed into a comic script. This skill is honed through experience and performance in shows.
Ajay Raj: In my comedy performances, I closely observe society and transform those observations into humorous content that I deliver to the audience. If a particular idea or joke doesn’t resonate well with the audience, I quickly adapt, abandon it, and seamlessly transition to a different concept to get the laughs flowing.
Q. What are your future plans in stand-up comedy?
Jiya Kant Gupta: My future plan is to perform live shows all over the country and expand my reach with international tours. I have a vision of opening a show inspired by the immensely successful Kapil Sharma. I understand that achieving this goal will require a substantial amount of time and effort, but I am fully dedicated to doing my best and making it happen.
Ajay Raj: My future plans involve performing as many live shows as possible across the country to expand my reach and connect with audiences of diverse backgrounds, all while continually honing my craft.
Q. Best bit was written by you and why?
Jiya Kant Gupta: One of the best lines during my performances is when I introduce myself with the line, “Hey guys, myself Jiya Kant Gupta, aur hum baniya hain.” This introduction sets the stage for the humorous anecdotes and rumors surrounding the baniya jokes that I have carefully crafted. It’s significant because every time I go on stage, the audience immediately anticipates a baniya-related joke and my personal experiences. It creates a lovely, familiar atmosphere, adding an extra element of excitement and anticipation to my performances.
Q. How do you prepare before a live show? Is there a script?
Jiya Kant Gupta: When it comes to preparing a show, we follow a double strategy. First, we create a script that serves as the basis for our performance. However, since we never know the exact composition of the audience or how well the script will resonate, we make sure to be flexible and ready to adapt on the spot. This means incorporating a mix of jokes and roasts to create funny moments that are more likely to connect with the audience.
Ajay Raj: We test our jokes on stage, constantly refining and filtering our material based on audience reactions. Crafting quality stand-up content takes time and patience, as it requires consistently delivering humorous content every minute, a skill that can only be acquired through years of experience and time on stage.
Q. What are the difficulties and drawbacks of this field?
Jiya Kant Gupta: When performing and encountering instances where my best shot fails to generate laughs, leading to an unresponsive or disinterested audience, a sense of fear and doubt often arises within me. Despite these concerns, however, I rely on my unique brand of humor and deliver a joke that manages to elicit laughter from the audience.
Ajay Raj: Stand-up comedy is an expensive passion, often requiring traveling to different cities to perform short 5-10 minute performances in front of a live audience. Unlike other artistic careers like singing, comedy cannot be practiced solely at home as it relies heavily on audience reactions and feedback to gauge the success of a particular prank or performance.
Q. What are society’s perspectives on this profession?
Jiya Kant Gupta: Although there are people who believe that comedy is a good profession that can bring financial stability, there are still those who do not recognize it as a viable career option.
Ajay Raj: In the past, stand-up comedy was an unexplored profession, but as time has passed, more and more people are starting to recognize it as a career option.
Q. Do stand up comedians tell the same jokes at all events?
Jiya Kant Gupta: There are some of the best jokes that comedians use at each event because we know these jokes are successful and generate laughs and the audience is also different at each event so sometimes we use our best jokes.
Q. Many stand-up comedians often use controversial topics to get laughs. Do you think this is acceptable?
Jiya Kant Gupta: In order to create a happy and friendly atmosphere by making people laugh with our usual jokes and comedic actions, it is advisable to refrain from selecting controversial topics as part of our material.
Ajay Raj: While some comedians may choose to use controversial topics in their performances, I prefer to avoid them and instead approach my material from a different perspective.
Q. Is there any topic that a comedian should avoid or have free rein to joke about anything?
Jiya Kant Gupta: In my personal opinion, it is advisable to avoid religious-themed comedy in order to maintain sensitivity and respect towards various religious beliefs and sentiments.
Q. What message do you want to give to those who want to be stand-up comedians?
Jiya Kant Gupta: If you are passionate about entering the world of comedy, my advice would be to stay focused and dedicated. It is important to understand that success in this field may not come overnight. At first, it may seem like there is no progress or recognition, but with hard work and patience, you can achieve your goals. Continue to hone your craft, continually learn from your experiences, and take advantage of every opportunity to perform and connect with the public.
Ajay Raj: To be successful as a comedian, consistency is key. Maintaining a regular and dedicated approach to the craft is essential, as inconsistency or discontinuity can pose significant challenges in building a successful career in comedy.
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Source: tit.edu.vn